The April 6 19th episode of “Hawaii Five-O” served as more proof that Season 8 is filled with episodes rich in heart, action, and themes of “ohana” and legacy that no fan of the police drama can forget. In “Aohe mea make i ka hewa: Make no i ka mihi ole”(No One Has Ever Died for the Mistakes He Has Made: Only Because He Didn't Repent), the “Hawaii Five-O” headquarters is being meticulously grilled for fire hazards by an unforgiving inspector when Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) gets a surprise visit from someone he never knew, but who knew his father, John McGarrett, very well.

Leroy Davis (Frankie Faison) doesn't have much time left, facing deadly dementia. He comes to Steve McGarrett with a full confession for 18 murders he committed as a hitman through 20 years with organized crime.

With his mind slipping away, he surrenders the locations for every buried body. Frankie Faison’s authentic portrayal of a perpetrator who knows he is not worthy of forgiveness is an absolute standout of the season, infused with humanity honed through living with his characters past, yet incapable of empathy. Equally genuine is O’Loughlin’s characterization of the steadfast son, who saw and lived every breath of his father's dedication to his country, and its codes of justice.

When Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) is accosted at gunpoint by Agent McNeal (Gonzalo Menendez), he gets his first face-to-face meeting with his half-sister, Noriko (Susan Park). Little sister wastes no time in displaying just how brutal she can be without blinking an eyelash, shooting McNeal within a hair of Adam and having her cleanup crew remove the body as though he never existed.

Showing the exact locations of Kono and Chin, she assures her half-brother that all she has to do is give her “men” the signal, and those loved ones will be gone. She details that she was nowhere near Hideki Tashiro when he died and that her evidence was planted both on the scene and at the lab. She demands the money divulged to Adam by Michelle Shioma while in prison. He has only six hours to retrieve it.

Red flags mark murderous crimes

Leroy surrendered all the weapons tying him to the murders to Steve, and of course, they all identify him as the killer. He takes a long trek to the Ewa Forest, where seven of his victims lie. He matter-of-factly tells how he chose the site because of “soft ground” and ready access to roads.

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Steve calls Noelani (Kimee Balmilero) with the gruesome news, telling her to bring “as many people as you can” to process the site. The first body identified positively is the Officer Ozuki, still bearing his badge. John McGarrett (Ryan Bittle)had vowed to bring Leroy Davis to justice for the officer and for his family. He constantly pursued Davis, never letting him forget the endless pain inflicted by the perpetrator.

Davis asks to stop at his home to feed his cats and deliver one pet and supplies to a neighbor, who surely had no knowledge of his past. The final site is a secluded beach where Davis places red flags to mark locations of bodies. These scenes are haunting. Alex O'Loughlin delivers a deft “no excuses” speech through his character, relating how his father fought in the same Vietnam War as Davis, and return home to the same disrespectful and undeserved treatment, and still did not succumb to being a killer.

The Lt. Commander cannot fathom the mindset of one who just “pulled the trigger” with no remorse. Steve recalls seeing the Davis house as a child, and the scene switches to one of John McGarrett tracking Davis in the forest when a call comes in that his wife is in labor. Davis retreated from his target. “I guess you saved your father's life,” Davis tells the son, McGarrett. He describes how he stopped using the forest as his favored dumping site after that night.

When Leroy Davis is delivered to the station for arrest and booking into the system, he virtually insists that McGarrett read his rights. “It's something your father would have enjoyed,” the new inmate insists. Because of Davis’ confession, “Hawaii Five-O” is able to arrest the syndicate boss who ordered the killings, who is also leading a quiet life in suburbia.

After the money

Adam confesses to Jessie (Christine Ko) that he has known where the money is all along and that now he has to get it to save his family. He tells her to stay put, but she declares that since “we started this together, and we're going to finish it.” Adam goes to the home of an old friend, Mr. Kimura (Dana Lee), wanting more than simply seeing his very nurtured and very old juniper tree. Kimura “arranges” the money, and Adam loads it in the trunk.

While he is thanking Mr. Kimura, Jessie races off. She finally responds to Adam’s calls but refuses to turn back. She charges on, fearing that escape is the only way. Adam recruits Tani (Meaghan Rath), and they track the car. Jessie has already been shot in the head, and all the money is gone. Besides her tragic end, this character will be missed for some delicious performances.

The closing scenes are so powerful and perfectly fit for any “Hawaii Five-O” memory keeper. With the files complete on all the deceased, McGarrett meets with their families, who offer their tears, hugs, hearts, and leis of gratitude to the boss. He cannot return who they lost, nor the years in between, but he can give the truth and closure. The son of Officer Ozuki extends a firm handshake. Still wearing his lei of palm leaves, he returns to his truck, speaking a reflective “We did it, Dad” in bittersweet resolution.

“Hawaii Five-O” welcomes Michelle Borth back for an episode next Friday, April 13. Catherine Rollins and Steve McGarrett have loads of catching up to do.

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